Spirit 12-Day from Venice

[nicoleinwi]

Looking at doing this cruise and it shows that you embark on the ship on Day 1 in Venice, Day 2 you are on the ship (in Venice) and Day 3 you leave at 1am.

 

Never done something like that before but I can see the benefits of being able to tour off the ship in Venice.

 

First I'm assuming that we can come and go from the ship whenever we like in Venice?

 

 

Secondly, we are torn between arriving at day before embarking or just arriving that morning and going straight to the ship. But if we did that, there is always the potential for delay. If we are delayed and we don't arrive until Day 2, are we still able to embark? Obviously if we are unable to then that'd answer our question and we would arrive the day before.

[repeater]

Looking at doing this cruise and it shows that you embark on the ship on Day 1 in Venice, Day 2 you are on the ship (in Venice) and Day 3 you leave at 1am.

 

Never done something like that before but I can see the benefits of being able to tour off the ship in Venice.

 

First I'm assuming that we can come and go from the ship whenever we like in Venice?

 

 

Secondly, we are torn between arriving at day before embarking or just arriving that morning and going straight to the ship. But if we did that, there is always the potential for delay. If we are delayed and we don't arrive until Day 2, are we still able to embark? Obviously if we are unable to then that'd answer our question and we would arrive the day before.

 

 

 

We're on this same cruise,and I had to look carefully at the itinerary. Look again: it says the ship leaves at 1am. As I read it, you get on the ship, (and get back off to go hang around Venice) get back on that night ---two hours before sail away is 11pm---and the ship leaves at 1am. in effect, it's 2 sea days in a row, not two days in Venice. Makes sense, since the next port is over 1100 miles away; they'd need 2 days to get there!

 

We're flying in the day before the cruise, just in case...I hate last minute periods of frantic flurry. We found a centrally located hotel for half price in Venice, well worth cutting out stress.

 

I still wonder what time we can board the ship? I want to go see more of Venice, but I'd like to jettison the luggage as soon as I can.

 

We're on the Sept 3 sailing. Come join our roll call, if the dates are the same!

[nicoleinwi]

We're on this same cruise,and I had to look carefully at the itinerary. Look again: it says the ship leaves at 1am.

 

I read it the same way you did at first. However, then I called NCL to verify. As the way I was reading it would put this cruise at basically having 3 sea days (2 right away and 1 towards end) where if you did the leg from Barcelona to Venice it's two. They stated, you board the ship Day 1, have the FULL day 2 on the ship and you don't leave until 1am on Day 3. So technically you had to be on board at 11pm on day 2. If it makes any difference I checked the same cruise on a large internet site to try to book and they were giving me shore excursion options on Day 2 in Venice.

 

I might call NCL again to ask.

[repeater]

I read it the same way you did at first. However, then I called NCL to verify. As the way I was reading it would put this cruise at basically having 3 sea days (2 right away and 1 towards end) where if you did the leg from Barcelona to Venice it's two. They stated, you board the ship Day 1, have the FULL day 2 on the ship and you don't leave until 1am on Day 3. So technically you had to be on board at 11pm on day 2. If it makes any difference I checked the same cruise on a large internet site to try to book and they were giving me shore excursion options on Day 2 in Venice.

 

I might call NCL again to ask.

 

 

Uh, oh, this isn't very clear!! I'd love another day in Venice, but that's not how I read it. Another call for sure!

[Ilovesailing]

Leaving your luggage and boarding are two different issue. Providing your luggage is tagged you can drop off your luggage early then leave and do your thing then come back way later to do your check in and boarding process.

I tried to look up your sailing for this cruise but couldn't find it. What I was looking for was to see what time the ship comes into port from the sailing before yours.

So if the ship was docking at 8am you could drop luggage off 10 or 11 am.

[repeater]

Leaving your luggage and boarding are two different issue. Providing your luggage is tagged you can drop off your luggage early then leave and do your thing then come back way later to do your check in and boarding process.

I tried to look up your sailing for this cruise but couldn't find it. What I was looking for was to see what time the ship comes into port from the sailing before yours.

So if the ship was docking at 8am you could drop luggage off 10 or 11 am.

 

 

Thanks. You're right...I can explore the ship another time; dropping off luggage is a priority. No sail away barbecue, I'm guessing...

[nicoleinwi]

OK I just called up NCL to check on this. I did receive mis-information from the 1st person I spoke to. They said that this was worded weird because technically you are staying in Venice past midnight thus it's listed as an overnight.

 

So according to NCL rep today it is like repeater thought.

 

Get on the ship in Venice whatever time you want on Day 1. Then 2 full sea days, then Athens.

 

OK sorry for any confusion I gave people. I knew it seemed very strange what NCL was telling me when I called earlier this week. I thought, "wow could save on a hotel in Venice and still see the City".

[fabnfortysomething]

we did this cruise 2 years ago

 

embarkation day we checked in 10.30-10.45 am and were able to get on board 11.30

 

you could just check in leave your bags and head back to Venice which is what a lot of people did

think they did ask you to be back on the ship 11pm and sailaway 2 hours later at 1am

 

there was a muster drill 4pm but those people still out and about went to a catch up the next morning

[Ilovesailing]

Not sure what month your sailing but I can tell that at the start of the season last week of May and first week of June was a zoo for people and only two cruise ships in port. So you may want to check out how many ships in port and plan out your day in Venice in peak season there can be up to 8 to to ships which I just can't imagine being that I have a tough time in crowds and somewhat claustrophobic and the lane ways are very narrow.

Other than than we were glad that we did this cruise the views from the ship are spectacular on both sides of the canal.

[Dora duck12]

Hubby and I are on this cruise. Leaving good old England on Sept 3rd (day one) Embarkation from 11.00 onwards. Ship is in port Sept 4th (day two) Then sailing from Venice after midnight, around 1.00. The afternoon of day one and the whole day of day two can be spend exploring Venice. Day three is a sea day, so plenty of time to relax.

 

 

Sandyc49

[repeater]

we did this cruise 2 years ago

 

embarkation day we checked in 10.30-10.45 am and were able to get on board 11.30

 

you could just check in leave your bags and head back to Venice which is what a lot of people did

think they did ask you to be back on the ship 11pm and sailaway 2 hours later at 1am

 

there was a muster drill 4pm but those people still out and about went to a catch up the next morning

 

 

Oh, glad to have this cleared up!! I haven't done as much research as I usually do, and September is coming quick.

[clarkg]

Hubby and I are on this cruise. Leaving good old England on Sept 3rd (day one) Embarkation from 11.00 onwards. Ship is in port Sept 4th (day two) Then sailing from Venice after midnight, around 1.00. The afternoon of day one and the whole day of day two can be spend exploring Venice. Day three is a sea day, so plenty of time to relax.

 

 

Sandyc49

 

That is not how I read it. The ship leaves one hour into day two(1 am). If you try to spend the whole day of day two in Venice you will miss the ship.

[dirkpitt0228]

We're on this same cruise,and I had to look carefully at the itinerary. Look again: it says the ship leaves at 1am. As I read it, you get on the ship, (and get back off to go hang around Venice) get back on that night ---two hours before sail away is 11pm---and the ship leaves at 1am. in effect, it's 2 sea days in a row, not two days in Venice. Makes sense, since the next port is over 1100 miles away; they'd need 2 days to get there!

 

We're flying in the day before the cruise, just in case...I hate last minute periods of frantic flurry. We found a centrally located hotel for half price in Venice, well worth cutting out stress.

 

I still wonder what time we can board the ship? I want to go see more of Venice, but I'd like to jettison the luggage as soon as I can.

 

We're on the Sept 3 sailing. Come join our roll call, if the dates are the same!

 

Repeater

 

Thanks for clarifying the Venice portion of the cruise! I am on this cruise also and was under the impression that we had essentially 2 days in Venice. Quite an eye-opener.

[repeater]

Repeater

 

Thanks for clarifying the Venice portion of the cruise! I am on this cruise also and was under the impression that we had essentially 2 days in Venice. Quite an eye-opener.

 

 

Confusing, I agree--we've never been on a cruise that left after dark!

 

If you're on Sept 3 sailing, come join our roll call; we're sparse over there.

[milolii]

Yes, so if you board on Sept. 3, you will sail right after midnight, early Sept 4. Two sea days, then Athens. I would arrive the day before. It is a fabulous cruise. Join your roll call. We formed private tours in many ports, had a grant time.

 

 

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[fabnfortysomething]

Hubby and I are on this cruise. Leaving good old England on Sept 3rd (day one) Embarkation from 11.00 onwards. Ship is in port Sept 4th (day two) Then sailing from Venice after midnight, around 1.00. The afternoon of day one and the whole day of day two can be spend exploring Venice. Day three is a sea day, so plenty of time to relax.

 

 

Sandyc49

 

no as per my earlier post you only have afternoon of embarkation day to explore Venice

day 2 leave 1am and rest of day at sea

day 3 sea day

 

my review of this same cruise from 2012 is in the link at bottom of post which describes what happens

[DevCruise]

no as per my earlier post you only have afternoon of embarkation day to explore Venice

day 2 leave 1am and rest of day at sea

day 3 sea day

 

my review of this same cruise from 2012 is in the link at bottom of post which describes what happens

 

Looks like the cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com no longer exists, but they seem to come up if you change the link to boards.cruisecritic.com. :)

[Beet24sam]

We were on this cruise last April. As on this thread, there was much confusion in the Roll Call regarding the 1am departure. Was it Day 1?/was it Day2? /Did it mean we overnighted in Venice? Etc etc. You board in Venice - you can check in and leave your bags then return to do a bit of sightseeing if you like BUT you MUST be back on board by 11pm at the very, very latest as the ship sails at 1am. ie technically Day 2 BUT at 1 am. You then have 2 full Sea Days to Piraeus - Days 2 and 3. It's a great trip --- enjoy!!!:)

[rocklinmom]

I am on this cruise in June and it took me awhile to figure it out. The wording is very confusing. It really should say "day 1 at sea" and "day 2 at sea" no matter what time it sails. There are a lot of confused people.

 

 

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[nicoleinwi]

I am glad I have this understood now. I haven't booked and am debating which port to leave from (this or Barcelona). I can't imagine my disappointment if I thought I had one full day of touring in Venice plus the afternoon of boarding only to find out I just had that afternoon.

 

I am still leaning towards departing from Venice.

[Beet24sam]

I would suggest the better option is to start in Venice - as we did last April. Then you get two full sea days to have some R&R before hitting the ports. Depends how much sightseeing you want to do. If you leave from Barcelona, you are straight into the ports - and the tramping around. Toulon, Livorno, Rome, Naples one after the other before you get a chance of a break. The crew said that it was quite a 'brutal' (as they called it) start to what should be a relaxing holiday. Just go to Venice a day or two before your sail date ----- and enjoy!!:)

[titangas]

I would suggest the better option is to start in Venice - as we did last April. Then you get two full sea days to have some R&R before hitting the ports. Depends how much sightseeing you want to do. If you leave from Barcelona, you are straight into the ports - and the tramping around. Toulon, Livorno, Rome, Naples one after the other before you get a chance of a break. The crew said that it was quite a 'brutal' (as they called it) start to what should be a relaxing holiday. Just go to Venice a day or two before your sail date ----- and enjoy!!:)

 

Depends upon how you look at it - Naples, Rome. Livorno, Toulon, Barcelona could be considered a "brutal" finish to a relaxing holiday.

 

We chose the other route because we really don't view Toulon as an intensive port and this way you get 4 days in port then a sea day, 4 days in port then a day and a half at sea before you get to Venice and get to experience Venice at night with ship to board on.

 

I would much rather have a sea day after all of those western Italian ports (the most intensive) than the first day.

[robins11]

We sailed on Spirit Venice to Barcelona in October 2012. We flew into Venice a couple of days before and had an incredible time exploring the city. Stayed in a highly recommended hotel found on Trip Advisor near to the cruise port and terminal for the airport bus. It was right on the Grand Canal a stunning location, the Antiche Figure.

Boarded our ship mid afternoon and spent the rest of the time looking over the vessel, having dinner and unpacking.

The ship left at 1 am. Recommend being on the port side as she leaves her berth and sails down the Guidecca Canal. We stood on the top deck aft and had the most amazing view as she slowly moves down the canal and passes all the iconic buildings of the city. it was so quiet, the moon was out, the city lit up in all her glory. Passing the entrance to St Mark's Square and then out into the channel, it has to be one of the best departures anywhere in the world.

It might be the early hours but do not miss it, you do of course have two lazy sea days ahead.

John